The use of telephones to access application programs on computers is becoming more and more popular. One particular application for which telephone access is in widespread use is in bank account management systems. In a bank account management system, an account holder can access his account by telephone by dialing in a password and learn the balance of his account and other information. In addition, the holder can transfer balances from one account to another, such as from a savings account to a checking account or vice versa. In bank accounts called bill payer accounts, the account holder can direct payments to be made to designated payees without writing out and mailing checks.
Frequently, a user involved in accessing an application program by telephone has occasion or need to make mathematical calculations in the middle of making use of the application program. For example, the holder of a bank account using a bank account management program may need to make a calculation to determine how much to transfer from one account to another or decide how much is to be paid to a payee in a bill payer account. In systems currently available, the user of the application program must make the calculation manually or with a separate calculator and then enter the calculation into the program by means of the telephone pushbuttons. This process is inconvenient and awkward, particularly if the user is standing up or is at a pay telephone where a work surface is not readily available.